II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 375 

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior 

to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters authorizing 

State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2011 

Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. ENZI, Mr. 

THUNE, and Mr. LEE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 

of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with 

State foresters authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and 

protection services. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Good Neighbor For5 estry Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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•S 375 IS

1 (1) ELIGIBLE STATE.—The term ‘‘eligible 

2 State’’ means a State that contains National Forest 

3 System land or Bureau of Land Management land 

4 located west of the 100th meridian. 

5 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

6 means— 

7 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re8 spect to National Forest System land; or 

9 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re10 spect to Bureau of Land Management land. 

11 (3) STATE FORESTER.—The term ‘‘State for12 ester’’ means the head of a State agency with juris13 diction over State forestry programs in an eligible 

14 State. 

15 SEC. 3. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into a 

17 cooperative agreement or contract (including a sole source 

18 contract) with a State forester to authorize the State for19 ester to provide the forest, rangeland, and watershed res20 toration and protection services described in subsection (b) 

21 on National Forest System land or Bureau of Land Man22 agement land, as applicable, in the eligible State. 

23 (b) AUTHORIZED SERVICES.—The forest, rangeland, 

24 and watershed restoration and protection services referred 

25 to in subsection (a) include the conduct of— 


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•S 375 IS

1 (1) activities to treat insect infected trees; 

2 (2) activities to reduce hazardous fuels; and 

3 (3) any other activities to restore or improve 

4 forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including 

5 fish and wildlife habitat. 

6 (c) STATE AS AGENT.—Except as provided in sub7 section (f), a cooperative agreement or contract entered 

8 into under subsection (a) may authorize the State forester 

9 to serve as the agent for the Secretary in providing the 

10 restoration and protection services authorized under sub11 section (a). 

12 (d) SUBCONTRACTS.—In accordance with applicable 

13 contract procedures for the eligible State, a State forester 

14 may enter into subcontracts to provide the restoration and 

15 protection services authorized under a cooperative agree16 ment or contract entered into under subsection (a). 

17 (e) TIMBER SALES.—Subsections (d) and (g) of sec18 tion 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 

19 (16 U.S.C. 472a) shall not apply to services performed 

20 under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into 

21 under subsection (a). 

22 (f) RETENTION OF NEPA RESPONSIBILITIES.—Any 

23 decision required to be made under the National Environ24 mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with 

25 respect to any restoration and protection services to be 


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1 provided under this Act by a State forester on National 

2 Forest System land or Bureau of Land Management land, 

3 as applicable, shall not be delegated to a State forester 

4 or any other officer or employee of the eligible State. 

5 (g) APPLICABLE LAW.—The restoration and protec6 tion services to be provided under this Act shall be carried 

7 out on a project-to-project basis under existing authorities 

8 of the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management, 

9 as applicable. 

10 SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The authority of the Secretary to 

12 enter into cooperative agreements and contracts under 

13 this Act terminates on September 30, 2019. 

14 (b) CONTRACT DATE.—The termination date of a co15 operative agreement or contract entered into under this 

16 Act shall not extend beyond September 30, 2020. 

Æ 


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